Simple Chukka

[Mablung]

1 hour ago, Aven said:

If its gapping at the top, you need to do the same up there.  Look on page 51 of Sharon's pdf.  The pattern are curved at the heel.  That's what yours should look like, smooth curves.

The Velle pattern on PDF page  61, book page 55 is a better example of what I'm talking about.

Now that you say that, I think I noticed well after I had cut the pieces and begun construction that I had made straight cuts rather than curving it properly. Guess I'll just have to make another pair to get all that right. 

[Aven]

26 minutes ago, Mablung said:

Now that you say that, I think I noticed well after I had cut the pieces and begun construction that I had made straight cuts rather than curving it properly. Guess I'll just have to make another pair to get all that right. 

Its not like I've ever done that myself.

Cool.  Now you've had a run through this pair should be easier and fun.  You've got your pattern mostly figured out, just a couple of tweaks and you'll have one that you can use for high boots or low shoes.

Other than the heel and the eyelets, you really did do a great job.  The eyelets?  Yeah, you're gone wanna reinforce them with another piece of leather to keep the single piece of leather from distorting and the eyelets pulling out.  Look at pdf page 49, book page 43.  Take your time with these.  Its easy to get turned around so I suggest doing one at time, from start to finish.

[Mablung]

28 minutes ago, Aven said:

Its not like I've ever done that myself.

Cool.  Now you've had a run through this pair should be easier and fun.  You've got your pattern mostly figured out, just a couple of tweaks and you'll have one that you can use for high boots or low shoes.

Other than the heel and the eyelets, you really did do a great job.  The eyelets?  Yeah, you're gone wanna reinforce them with another piece of leather to keep the single piece of leather from distorting and the eyelets pulling out.  Look at pdf page 49, book page 43.  Take your time with these.  Its easy to get turned around so I suggest doing one at time, from start to finish.

Well thanks. I thought about doing the reinforcement piece, decided against it to make these look sleek and minimal, and wondered after I set the eyelets if that was a mistake. Your feedback confirms that, so I'll add that to the next pair. I'll probably start on them tonight, after I get back from the gym. 

[engblom]

I am new to shoe making and still waiting for my tools to come, and I try to do a bit of research before beginning my first project. What is the advantages and disadvantages of attaching the sole in the way you did? I mean, most shoes seems to pull the uppers in under the foot. You got it going the other direction, attaching it on the outside instead.

[Wepster]

Upstate NY has a small shoe manufacturer, whose Chukka looks a lot like yours! Though you might like to see their site

https://www.aurorashoeco.com/collections/all-products

[Aven]

This style of shoe making is called stitch down and it doesn't require a last. You can use a last, but it isn't necessary.  You can just use the pattern and match up edges or you can make the upper a bit oversized and use the wear's foot as a last and glue the upper to the sole.  Since the stitching is on the outside, it can easily be done by hand.

Sharon Raymond has done a a Youtube channel called Simple Shoemaking. On her channel she talks about doing stitch down vs traditional methods. Her unique approach that makes shoe making accessible to almost everyone.  She has several books up on Etsy that are downloadable PDFs.  In one of them she talks about making lasts out of cloth and clay. 

 

[Mablung]

1 hour ago, Aven said:

This style of shoe making is called stitch down and it doesn't require a last. You can use a last, but it isn't necessary.  You can just use the pattern and match up edges or you can make the upper a bit oversized and use the wear's foot as a last and glue the upper to the sole.  Since the stitching is on the outside, it can easily be done by hand.

Sharon Raymond has done a a Youtube channel called Simple Shoemaking. On her channel she talks about doing stitch down vs traditional methods. Her unique approach that makes shoe making accessible to almost everyone.  She has several books up on Etsy that are downloadable PDFs.  In one of them she talks about making lasts out of cloth and clay. 

 

^ This. I haven't made any clay lasts yet, though I plan to once I get a good handle on the stitch-down style. Then I'll do some lasted ones. The stitch-down is simply easier to start with.

One can also get the seam running on the inside by doing a turn-shoe, but that's a somewhat different matter altogether. 

[engblom]

18 hours ago, Aven said:

This style of shoe making is called stitch down and it doesn't require a last. You can use a last, but it isn't necessary.  You can just use the pattern and match up edges or you can make the upper a bit oversized and use the wear's foot as a last and glue the upper to the sole.  Since the stitching is on the outside, it can easily be done by hand.

Sharon Raymond has done a a Youtube channel called Simple Shoemaking. On her channel she talks about doing stitch down vs traditional methods. Her unique approach that makes shoe making accessible to almost everyone.  She has several books up on Etsy that are downloadable PDFs.  In one of them she talks about making lasts out of cloth and clay. 

 

Would it make sense to do the stitch so it bends and comes out through the side of the sole, so the thread is not under the sole. I might be wrong but I suspect the threads would wear out quite fast (faster than the sole) if they are stitched under the sole.

[Wepster]

I believe with stitch down, the upper is stitched to a midsole, an outsole is then glued to the midsole. Look at the link I did above to Aurora shoe, they have decent photos of their shoes. You can see the sole has no stitches. Or with thick enough soles, you cut a grove in the outsole for the stitches. 

[Mablung]

7 hours ago, engblom said:

Would it make sense to do the stitch so it bends and comes out through the side of the sole, so the thread is not under the sole. I might be wrong but I suspect the threads would wear out quite fast (faster than the sole) if they are stitched under the sole.

Turn-shoes are done that way, with a butt stitch. I have seen it done with other stitch-down styles (a friend's wife wears some that are stitched like that), but those soles are thicker than the ones on mine. But conceivably one could do that. 

3 hours ago, Wepster said:

I believe with stitch down, the upper is stitched to a midsole, an outsole is then glued to the midsole. Look at the link I did above to Aurora shoe, they have decent photos of their shoes. You can see the sole has no stitches. Or with thick enough soles, you cut a grove in the outsole for the stitches. 

With mine, I stitched all the way through because that's what the directions in the book I was using said to do and it was easier to do that way. I really should have stitched to the leather midsole and then glued the outsole, though. I'll do that next time around. That said, I did pull the stitches tightly enough that they dug into the rubber and are, for the most part, protected from wear (for now). I intend to make a better pair soon anyway and will make some adjustments then.